Greetings in Korean

Listen to the native speakers greeting each other, and then go ahead and practice saying each phrase aloud. Once you’re feeling confident with different ways to say hello in Korean you’ll learn some different ways to say goodbye in Korean as well.

Resources for further reading:

• How to improve your pronunciation of Korean words
• Five tips on how to become conversational in Korean

It’s important to get the basics right, and the Korean people you meet will really appreciate your efforts. You know you’re saying it correctly if they keep talking, expecting you to keep up! Koreans, in general, are friendly and may expect the same approach from you. So be prepared to be greeted and greet them in return.

As in every other language, in Korean, what you say and do to greet people depends on the time of the day, the occasion and the person you’re greeting. Just saying “Anyoung” (Hi) is impolite. When you’re meeting someone for the first time, stretch out your right hand, and slightly bow. While this is being done, say “Anyoung haseyo!” which literally means “Are you at peace?” Shaking and bowing at the same time is a custom - be careful not to pump the hand of the person you’re meeting, just clasp hands briefly.

How to pronounce greetings in Korean...

Anyoung haseyo! is the most common greeting for someone you meet face to face. It can be used at any time of day and to anyone.

After the first meeting, the next time you meet the same person, you probably don’t have to shake their hand again, unless that person is senior in position or age, or it’s been a while since you last saw him/her.

You can also say “Anyoung!” for “Hello!” but it is only strictly used between close friends and to younger people, as it is informal. Do not use it if you’re speaking to an older person.

But, “Anyoung haseyo!” is always safe! The reply to “Anyoung haseyo!” is also “Anyoung haseyo”. You can prefix this with the person’s name, if you wish.

As a foreigner newly arrived in the country, or on your very first meeting with someone, you can also use one of these options to greet someone.

Korean doesn’t have a separate greeting for morning, noon, afternoon and evening. It’s appropriate to use Anyoung haseyo at all times of the day. However, there is a phrase used to say “Good night”.

Also, at lunchtime and dinnertime, you may be greeted by a Korean asking shiksa hashutsuyo which means “Did you have a meal?” – Don’t worry about getting into detail about what you had for a meal – all you need to say is a simple ne (yes).

There are two common ways of saying goodbye in Korean. First, there is the “goodbye” used when you are leaving, as the guest, and the other person is staying. Listen to the audio.

The second “goodbye” is for when you are staying, as the host or hostess, and the other person is leaving.

And for those who want to play it casual, you can use one of the following phrases to say “bye”.

The second “goodbye” is for when you are staying, as the host or hostess, and the other person is leaving.

That’s it for this lesson. Using different greetings will make you sound more fluent in Korean, and it will win you the respect of local people. Try to remember as many as you can!

If you liked this lesson on how to say hello in Korean, you might also like to know how to say where are you from in Korean, or some other basic Korean salutations to get the ice broken!

Anyoung hee gaseyo!

Sujung Lee: Rocket Korean